Copying buddy lists between 2 iMessages accounts

Question

Copying buddy lists between 2 iMessages accounts

On each Mac that I have access to, I use a different AIM chat account. This way my correspondents can see where I am. It suffices for them to have the relevant mac-specific AIM screen names in the contacts entry they maintain of me.

Maybe this isn't intended usage (I could use just one AIM screen name and set a location specific "available" message on each of those macs).

Anyway, when first using a new AIM screen name on a new Mac, here is how you transfer your buddy names.

Make sure both AIM screen names are set up and enabled in the preferences.

Also UNCHECK de box General>Buddy List>Show all mij accounts in one list.

Then use Cmd-1 and Cmd-2 to show the two buddy lists pertaining to those two AIM accounts.

And start dragging buddy names that you want to keep to the new AIM account.

After that, you can disable the old AIM account in the preferences, and Messages will now allow you to assume the new identity when communicating with the newly defined buddies.

Done!

Hope this helps.

PS (somewhat unrelated axe I like to grind):

IMHO, Apple has made iChat/Messages/FaceTime sooo fragmented (between OS & app versions)(hence the anti-theme of an "ecosystem") that fewer people are using Apple's /texting/voice chat/video chat/ facilities.

Years ago, all my Mac friends were using iChat almost exclusively. These days, you hardly see any of them on line...

With iOS, Apple is about to miss a unique opportunity to pull Skype-users (and others) into Apple's chat ecosystem (provided it orchestrates Skype integration well). But I am afraid the opposite is happening.

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Posted on Mar 24, 2014 2:24 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 24, 2014 3:18 PM in response to Franklin Vermeulen

Hi,

Alternative method (more work but in one AIM account)

In Messages > Preferences > Accounts select the AIM Account.

Select the Privacy tab.

Enable the Allow Certain People item and Add Work people there.

This does mean you have to remember to switch at the end of the work day.

Also what you set on one computer effects the "flagging" of that Buddy List at the Server so on other computers it will also be the "work" list that is shown as "Available" or "Away".

Re PS.

I think most people used iChat as a 1-1 Video chat method over AIM or Jabber services (Yahoo in iChat 6 never did A/V chats).

Adding FaceTime to the Mac and having it connect to iPhones and seemingly easier than an iChat Video chat has been part of the decline.

This then presents Apple with a Quandry.

Does FaceTime get a Text component and stay separate or does iChat get the iMessages text chat added ?

Apple obviously went for the iMessages to iChat rebranding as Messages with the option to Invoke FaceTime from iMessages conversations.

As Skype has not made it to any Jabber Transport it seems unlikely that any other chat Platform is going to Add it to their Services.

Apple never added MSN which would have been more secure so it seems unlikely that they will add Skype now it is part of the Microsoft brand.

Several projects that started out as Text Only IM apps that promised to integrate the various Video protocols have never materialised over the last 10 years.

PorteusX promised this but has seemingly disappeared from it's Own web site.

AdiumX promised this at the start and have made no moves to become Video or even Audio enabled.

Trillain did do some of this on the Window Side with the cost involved Pro Add-on.

It has never been clear if the Pro add-on can be used for the Mac Version.

10:18 pm Monday; March 24, 2014

 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

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